|
Ten
Pin Bowling
Ten-pin
bowling is a competitive sport and recreation in which
a player (the "bowler") rolls a bowling ball
down a wooden or "synthetic" (polyurethane) "lane" with
the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many
pins as possible.
The 41.5-inch
wide, 60-foot long lane is bordered along its length by "gutters" -
semicircular channels designed to collect errant balls
which also pose an obstacle to advanced bowlers, because
a straight ball cannot be rolled on a regulation lane at
the angle required to consistently "carry" (knock
down) all ten pins for a strike. Most skillful bowlers
will roll a more difficult-to-control "hook" ball
to overcome this. There is a "foul line" at the
end of the lane nearest to the bowler: if any part of a
bowler's body touches the lane side of this line after
the ball is "delivered" (rolled), it is called
a "foul" and no pins knocked over by that delivery
are scored (The bowler is allowed a shot at a new "rack" of
ten pins if he fouled on the first roll of a frame.). Behind
the foul line is an "approach" approximately
15 feet long used to gain speed and leverage on the ball
before delivering it. 60 feet from the foul line, where
the lane terminates, it is joined to a roughly 24-inch
long, 41.5-inch wide surface of durable and impact-resistant
material called the "pin deck" where each rack
of pins is set.
The bowler
is allowed ten frames in which to knock down pins, with
each frame being composed of up to two rolls. The tenth
frame may be composed of up to three rolls: the bonus roll(s)
following a strike or spare in the tenth (sometimes referred
to as the "eleventh" and "twelfth" frames)
are "fill balls" used only to calculate the score
of the mark rolled in the tenth. Bowling has a unique scoring
system (see below) that is notoriously confusing to newcomers
who attempt to score a game with multiple "marks" (strikes
and spares). Bowling scores tend to be unintuitive: if
a bowler was to knock down 9 pins with his first shot but
miss his spare every frame, he would have a score of 90;
if the same bowler were to make all of his spares and knock
down 9 with the bonus ball, he would have a score of 190.
If he were to carry all ten pins with each shot and strike
with each of his bonus balls in the tenth frame, he would
have shot a "perfect game" of 300.
Since
being brought to the United States from Europe, ten-pin
bowling (thought to be descended from the game of skittles)
has risen in popularity as its technology has improved.
The sport is most popular in the United Kingdom and the
United States. Both nations maintain national regulatory
organizations that govern the sport's rules and conduct
and many of those countries' best players participate in
tournaments on both the national and international stage.
Because of the rise in popularity, many companies are now
making bowling balls and apparel for professionals as well
as for recreational bowlers. Bowling has also become more
prevalent in the media in recent years, with the continued
popularity of bowling publications and the appearance of
films centered around the culture of the sport. However,
the sport continues to face challenges in garnering mainstream
coverage of the athletic aspects of the game.
Origins
In 1930, British anthropologist Sir Flinders Petrie along with a team of archaeologists,
discovered various primitive bowling balls, bowling pins and other materials
in the grave of an Egyptian boy dating to 5200 BC. Their discovery represents
the earliest known historical trace of bowling. However, some dismiss these findings
[citation needed], arguing that bowling originated in Germany in 300 A.D. The
first written reference to bowling dates to 1366, when King Edward III of England
banned his troops from playing the game so that they would not be distracted
from their archery practice. It is believed that King Henry VIII bowled using
cannon balls. In Germany the game of Kegal (Kegelspiel) expanded. The Kegal game
grew in Germany and around other parts of Europe with Keglars rolling balls at
nine pins, or "skittles".
Ninepin bowling was
introduced to America from Europe during the colonial era, similar
to the game of skittles. It became very popular and was called "Bowl
on the Green". The Dutch, English, and Germans all brought
their own versions of the game to the new world, where it enjoyed
continued popularity, although not without some controversy.
In 1841 a law in Connecticut banned ninepin bowling lanes due
to associated gambling and crime, and people were said to circumvent
the letter of the prohibition by adding an extra pin, resulting
in the game of ten pin bowling.
Modern American ten-pin
bowling is most closely related to the German game Kegelspiel.
Germans were instrumental in fostering the game's popularity
as they formed their own bowling clubs both before and after
the American Civil War. The first indoor bowling alley was Knickerbockers
of New York City, built in 1840. The Brunswick Corporation's
addition of bowling equipment to their product line also served
to increase the sport's popularity. In 1914 Brunswick replaced
their line of wooden bowling balls with hard rubber Mineralite
bowling ball. The change was met with great approval.
Organization and increased popularity
Inside a typical Ten-pin bowling alley, Shropshire, UKBowling has long been
seen as a sport of the working classes. Accordingly, most bowling alleys at
the turn of the century were small, private establishments, mainly frequented
by men. This began to change as the sport became increasingly regulated and
generally gained in prestige. Although it has not shed its working class image
entirely, today bowling is no longer only a unisex sport, and is enjoyed by
people the world over. In 1895 the American Bowling Congress was started in
New York City. This was soon joined by similar organizations geared toward
female bowlers.
These groups began creating
the standard rules for bowling that have survived to the modern
day. At the same time, the sport's image among the upper classes
was enhanced by the opening of more luxurious and elegant lanes
like The White Elephant in New York City, opened by restaurateur
Joe Thum, whom many consider to be the father of bowling, along
with Dick Weber. Thum created the first bowling organization
in the United States on September 9, 1895, when he pulled together
representatives of various regional bowling clubs into an overarching
organization, the American Bowling Congress (ABC). This spurred
greater interest in the game, with the number of officially sanctioned
lanes rising from 450 in 1920 to 2,000 in 1929.
1940 to 1960
The period from 1940 to 1960 is known as the golden age of bowling due to the
sport's great popularity and advances in its play. Indeed, by 1945, bowling
was a billion-dollar industry in the United States. Promotion by the U.S. Armed
Forces and its image as a sport for the common man made bowling an enticing
choice of activity for Americans. For this reason, racial integration was perhaps
inevitable. The American Bowling Congress had been a whites-only organization
throughout its existence, but lobbying by numerous labor organizations and
individuals after the war quickly led to a reversal of this policy.
This era also
saw a great increase in bowling technology. Pins had previously
been set by human pinsetters or "pin boys", but with
the invention of the semi-automatic pinsetter in 1936, the process
became much easier. In 1946 AMF Bowling launched the first commercial
fully automatic pinspotter to replace the earlier Brunswick semi-automatic
and fully manual bowling establishments. Brunswick itself introduced
its own automatic pinspotter design to bowling centers in 1955.
The television age of the 1950s also helped to increase the popularity
of ten-pin bowling, as images of the sport began to enter the
homes of millions across the United States. Eddie Elias founded
the Professional Bowlers Association in 1958, and its Pro Bowlers
Tour became a permanent part of ABC's sports lineup.
1960 to the present
Ten-pin bowling was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1960. This was driven
by the opening of the Stamford Hill and Golders Green bowling alleys in London.
Ten-pin bowling took the UK by storm, with alleys opening up one after the
other. At its peak there were over one hundred and sixty bowling alleys in
the UK, but a lack of re-investment and waning interest left the fad in a sorry
state. This led to a general deterioration of bowling alleys, with a commensurate
decline in their image. In the 1970's a major chain operator pulled out of
bowling and converted many of the more luxurious alleys into Bingo halls. The
industry nearly collapsed, with two thirds of the existing alleys closing over
the next few years.
Until the mid
1980's there was little, if any, new investment in the sport
with the decline in interest being attributed to the complex
scoring system, especially as it was a manual process then. However,
this all changed with the introduction of computers and automated
electronic scoring systems. This meant that the general public
only had to enter their names into the computers and everything
else was done automatically. This changed the face of bowling
and was largely responsible for the new found interest in the
sport.
AMF carried
this revitalization of the sport by embarking on a major refurbishment
programme. This re-investment led to the construction of many
bright, modern and attractive sites and began the second golden
age of bowling. During the late 1980's and early 1990's the number
of ten-pin bowling alleys across the country rose to over two
hundred. This was higher than it had ever been in the sixties,
then the peak of the sport's popularity.
Today, over
100 million bowlers play in over 90 different countries. More
men and women worldwide play bowling than any other sport, with
the possible exception of football (soccer in the USA). Bowling
has far more registered dues-paying participants than any other
sport. The bowling industry spends significantly more money each
year than any other sport on airlines, restaurants, hotels and
rental cars.
There is an
active movement to make bowling an Olympic sport, especially
by the Fédération Internationale des Quilleurs,
the world governing organization for nine and ten-pin bowling.
The best players regularly play in televised tournaments, and
new bowlers continue to delight in learning the game. In addition,
modern bowling alleys have changed greatly. As people have become
exposed to a wider range of entertainment options, the trend
has shifted to building large entertainment centers that allow
people to enjoy many different activities. These developments
often include multi-screen cinemas, restaurants and night clubs.
This has had a great impact on the image of the sport among families
Play
Ten-pin Bowling in Shropshire, UKA game of ten-pin bowling is divided into ten
rounds (called "frames"). In a frame, each player is given two opportunities
to knock down the skittle targets (called "pins"). He or she rolls
the first ball at the pins. If the first ball knocks down all ten pins, it is
called a "strike" and the frame is completed. When pins are left standing
after the first ball, those that are knocked down are counted and then removed.
Then the player rolls a second ball and if the remaining pins are knocked down,
it is called a "spare." There are bonuses for removing all the pins.
If there is more than one player scheduled on a lane, play passes to the next
player until all players have completed the frame. Then play continues with the
next frame. The final or tenth frame of a game may involve three balls. See Scoring
below.
The ten pins are usually
automatically set by machine into four rows which form an equilateral
triangle where there are four pins on a side (Pythagorean Tetractys).
There are four pins in the back row, then three, then two, and
finally one in the front at the center of the lane. The pins
are numbered one through ten, starting with one in front, and
ending with ten in the back to the right. This serves to ease
communication; one could say that the 4 and 7 pins were left
standing. Neighboring pins are set up 12 inches (30 cm) apart,
measured from center to center. Due to the spacing of the pins
and the size of the ball (about 8.6 inches or 22 cm in diameter),
it is impossible for the ball to contact every pin. Therefore,
a tactical shot is required, which would result in a chain reaction
of pin hitting pin. In an ideal shot, for a right-hander, the
ball will contact only the 1, 3, 5 and 9 pins. (For a left-hander,
the 1, 2, 5 and 8 pins).
In order to count, a
pin must be knocked over entirely. In unlucky circumstances,
a pin may wobble furiously, yet come to rest upright, thus not
being scored. Alternatively, the pin may wobble furiously and
the automatic pin machine picks up the pin as it wobbles. Again,
it is not scored.
A bowler prepares to release his ball toward the pins during a sanctioned bowling
match.There are generally two primary styles of rolling the ball down the
lane. Most newer players play by rolling the ball straight, hopefully into
the 1-3 pocket for right-handed bowlers or the 1-2 pocket for left-handed
bowlers. More experienced bowlers usually roll a hook, which means that
they make the ball start out straight and then curve towards the pocket.
To produce a hook the player needs to let go of the ball with his thumb
first, then the middle and ring finger release almost simultaneously. This
gives the bowling ball its spin needed for the hook. If the player is right-handed,
an ideal position of the thumb after letting go of the ball is "10
o'clock", meaning that the thumb has gone from 12 to 10, as looking
at a clock. The corresponding position for left-handed players is 2 o'clock.
Of course there are innumerable variations in style and technique and the
position of the thumb can vary from person to person. Lab research has
shown that the ideal shot will enter the pocket at an angle of 6 degrees
with respect to the lane boards, which means that a straight ball should
be thrown from the side of the lane, near the gutter.
The conventional bowling
styles use either a four or five step approach beginning 8 to
16 feet behind the foul line. Some extremely young or physically
challenged players may use both hands to swing the ball forward
from in between their legs. This kind of style has the bowler
start close to the foul line, and is called "Granny style".
Another method for novice bowlers is the "bounce pass" technique
which is performed by thrusting the ball from your chest with
two hands towards the pins. This technique is easily picked up
by weaker players but is seldom used because it is frowned upon
by the bowling community due to the potential to damage the lanes
and/or ball.
There are systematic
ways of using the lane arrow marks and approach dots to make
it easier to hit the pocket to get strikes, and for making spares.
Focusing on these targeting guides helps eliminate fear of the
gutters.
Rules
and regulations
Lanes in a ten-pin bowling alleyThe regulations listed here are generally based
around regulations set by the United States Bowling Congress and the British
Tenpin Bowling Association . These rules are followed by all sanctioned leagues
and events, such as tournaments.
This information
is clarified by the World Tenpin Bowling Association in its 'Statutes & Playing
Rules'
Playing area
The sport of ten-pin bowling is performed on a straight, narrow surface known
as a lane. This bowling lane is 60 feet (18.29 metres) from the foul line to
the head pin (1-pin). About fifteen feet (4.57 metres) from the foul line are
a set of guide arrows. The lane is 3.5 feet (1.07 m) wide and normally consists
of 39 wooden boards or a synthetic material. The bowling lane has two sets
of approach dots; from the foul line back to the first set of approach dots
is about 12 feet (3.66 metres) and to the second set of approach dots is about
15 feet (4.57 m) (an additional 3 feet/0.91 m). Although this figure varies,
the lane is protected by about 18 mL of oil. The PBA events use about 30 mL
of oil, and the PWBA events use 25 mL.
Pins
USBC rules specify that a pin must be 15 inches (38.1 cm) tall and about 4.7
inches (11.4 cm) wide at the "belly" of the pin, where a rolling
ball would make contact. There are additional measurements which delineate
the shape. The weight of a single pin must be at least 3 pounds, 4 ounces (1.47
kg) and no more than 3 pounds, 10 ounces (1.64 kg). Within a set of ten pins,
the individual weights may vary by no more than 4 ounces (113.4 g), if made
from wood or plastic coated, or just 2 ounces (56.7 g) if synthetic. The top
of the pin shall have a uniform arc with a radius of 1.273 inches, plus/minus
1/32 inch (31.5 – 33 mm).
The pins must
show the name and mark of the maker, either "USBC Approved", "WIBC
Approved", or "BTBA Approved" and appear uniform.
Bowling
ball
For competition bowling, a ball must be made of a completely solid material
and its weight must be distributed evenly. The circumference of the ball must
not be more than 2.25 feet (0.686 m), and the ball cannot weigh more than 16
pounds (7.26 kg). The ball must have a smooth surface over its entire circumference
except for holes or indentations used for gripping the ball, holes or indentations
made to bring the ball back into compliance with weight-distribution regulations,
identification letters and numbers, and general wear from normal use.
For much of
the history of bowling, bowling balls were made using a three
piece construction method. Starting in the mid-1990's, however,
most manufacturers switched to a two-piece method. In response
to these innovative ball designs, the American Bowling Congress
placed further restrictions on the technical characteristics
of the ball such as the radius of gyration and hooking potential.
Rules of play
A game of bowling consists of ten frames. In each frame, the bowler will have
two chances to knock down as many pins as possible with their bowling ball.
In games with more than one bowler, as is common, every bowler will take their
frame in a predetermined order before the next frame begins. If a bowler is
able to knock down all ten pins with their first ball, he or she is awarded
a strike. If the bowler is able to knock down all 10 pins with the two balls
of a frame, it is known as a spare. Bonus points are awarded for both of these,
depending on what you score in the next 2 balls (for a strike) or 1 ball (for
a spare). If the bowler knocks down all 10 pins in the tenth frame, the bowler
is allowed to throw 3 balls for that frame. This allows for a potential of
12 strikes in a single game, and a maximum score of 300 points, a perfect game.
The recent
wave of high scoring in the USA including more than 7 sanctioned
perfect 900 series (300+300+300) in the last 10 years has led
to a motion being put forward at the 2006 USBC convention (to
be held during April in Florida) to increase the number of frames
to 12 resulting in a perfect game in the future consisting of
14 strikes for a score of 360. However it is not felt that this
motion will get the support needed due to the opposition of the
computer scoring manufacturers who wouldn't be able to fit all
14 strikes on the screen.
Scoring
In general, one point is scored for each pin that is knocked over. So if a
player bowls over three pins with the first shot, then six with the second,
the player would receive a total of nine points for that frame. If a player
knocks down 9 pins with the first shot, but misses with the second, the player
would also score nine. When a player fails to knock down all ten pins after
their second ball it is known as an open frame.
In the event
that all ten pins are knocked over by a player in a single frame,
bonuses are awarded.
A ten-pin bowling scoresheet showing how a strike is scoredStrike: When all
ten pins are knocked down with the first ball (called a strike and typically
rendered as an "X" on a scoresheet), a player is awarded ten
points, plus a bonus of whatever is scored with the next two balls. In
this way, the points scored for the two balls after the strike are counted
twice.
Frame 1, ball 1: 10 pins (strike)
Frame 2, ball 1: 3 pins
Frame 2, ball 2: 6 pins
The total score from these throws is:
Frame one: 10 + (3 + 6)= 19
Frame two: 3 + 6 = 9
TOTAL = 28
Two consecutive strikes are referred to as a "double." Three strikes
bowled consecutively are known as a "turkey" or "triple." Any
longer string of strikes is referred to by a number affixed to the word "bagger," as
in "four-bagger" or "five-bagger" for four or five consecutive
strikes. This terminology is used most often when a bowler is "off the
strikes." (i.e. has previously bowled a string of several strikes but
failed to strike on his most recent ball.)
When a player
is "on the strikes," a string is often referenced by
affixing "in a row" to the number of strikes bowled
consecutively. Six strikes in a row are sometimes referred to
as a "six pack." 6 strikes and 9 strikes in a row can
also be referred to "Wild Turkeys" and "Golden
Turkeys" respectively. Any string of strikes starting in
the first frame or ending "off the sheet" (where all
of a bowler's shots from a certain frame to the end of the game
strike) are often referred to as the "front" or "back" strikes,
respectively (e.g. the 'front nine' for strikes in frames 1-9,
or the 'back six' for strikes in frames 7, 8, and 9 with a turkey
in the tenth). A "Perfect Game" or 12 strikes in a
row is also colloquially referred to as the "Thanksgiving
Turkey."
A player who
scores multiple strikes in succession would score like so:
Frame 1, ball 1: 10 pins (strike)
Frame 2, ball 1: 10 pins (strike)
Frame 3, ball 1: 4 pins
Frame 3, ball 2: 2 pins
The score from these throws is:
Frame one: 10 + (10 + 4)= 24
Frame two: 10 + (4 + 2) = 16
Frame three: 4 + 2 = 6
TOTAL = 46
The most points that can be scored in a single frame is 30 points (10 for the
original strike, plus strikes in the two subsequent frames).
A player who bowls a strike in the tenth (final) frame is awarded two extra
balls so as to allow the awarding of bonus points. If both these balls
also result in strikes, a total of 30 points (10 + 10 + 10) is awarded
for the frame. These bonus points do not count on their own, however. They
only count as the bonus for the strike.
A ten-pin bowling scoresheet showing how a spare is scored.Spare: A "spare" is
awarded when no pins are left standing after the second ball of a frame; i.e.,
a player uses both balls of a frame to clear all ten pins. A player achieving
a spare is awarded ten points, plus a bonus of whatever is scored with the
next ball (only the first ball is counted). It is typically rendered as a slash
on scoresheets in place of the second pin count for a frame.
Example:
Frame 1, ball 1: 7 pins
Frame 1, ball 2: 3 pins (spare)
Frame 2, ball 1: 4 pins
Frame 2, ball 2: 2 pins
The total score from these throws is: 7 + 3 + 4(bonus) + 4 + 2 = 20
A player who bowls a spare in the tenth (final) frame is awarded one extra
ball to allow for the bonus points.
Correctly calculating
bonus points can be difficult, especially when combinations of
strikes and spares come in successive frames. In modern times,
however, this has been overcome with automated scoring systems,
linked to the machines that set and clear the pins between frames.
A computer automatically counts pins that remain standing, and
fills in a virtual score sheet (usually displayed on monitors
above each lane). However, even the automated system is not fool-proof,
as the computer can miscount the number of pins that remain standing.
The maximum
score in a game of ten-pin is 300. On Feb. 2, 1997, University
of Nebraska sophomore Jeremy Sonnenfeld became the first person
ever to roll three perfect games of 300 in a three-game series
(as approved by the American Bowling Congress). This has only
been achieved a handful of times since. The odds of bowling a
perfect game or series depend on the condition of the lanes and
the skill of the bowler. It is not something that is easily accomplished.
In Britain,
the youngest bowler ever to achieve a perfect single game score
of 300 (12 consecutive strikes), in a sanctioned competition
was 12 years, 2 months and 10 days old Elliot John Crosby, at
AMF Purley in South London, England in the Surrey Country trials
on January 7th 2006. Crosby beat the previous British 300 shooter
record holder Rhys Parfitt by more than a year. Parfitt was 13
years, 4 months when he achieved a 300 point game at the London
international tenpin bowling tournament in 1994.
In the United
States, the youngest ever bowler to achieve this in a sanctioned
competition is two-handed bowler Chaz Dennis of Columbus, Ohio.
He achieved this competing in the Hillcrest Preps-Juniors league
at Hillcrest Lanes in Columbus, Ohio on December 16, 2006 at
10 years, 2 months, 27 days old. Dennis was 20 days younger than
the previous record-holder, Japanese Michael Tang of San Francisco,
California, who set his record when he was 10 years, 3 months,
16 days old competing in the Daly City All Stars Scratch Trios
League at the Sea Bowl in Pacifica, California.
Ten-pin bowling. (2007, February 14). In Wikipedia,
The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:24, February 19, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ten-pin_bowling&oldid=108160409
Copyright (c) Wikipedia.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU
Free Documentation License, Version 1.2. |
